Brittainy Smith CFR 2022
Brittainy Smith is headed to her first Canadian Finals Rodeo in eleventh position with $9,076.73 won in the 2022 Canadian Professional Rodeo Association season. The Eckville, Alberta cowgirl won the Benalto Stampede and the Lethbridge Professional Rodeo, finished second at the Teepee Creek Stampede, third at Moose Mountain Pro Rodeo (Kennedy, SK), third at North Peace Stampede (Grimshaw, AB), fifth at IPE & Stampede (Armstrong, BC), and to seal the deal, finished fifth at the Edmonton Pro Rodeo.
What is your background with horses? How did you get started roping?
I have been around horses my entire life. Both of my parents rodeoed. My mom grew up around horses from a young age; high school rodeoing and later riding futurity/derby horses and barrel racing at some of the pro rodeos. My dad grew up with three brothers who I think just about roped everything around the county. Later, my dad roped but mainly focused on steer wrestling at the rodeos. Both sets of my grandparents' stock contracted at local rodeos; from wild ponies to roughstock. My grandpa Tolonen would bring the stock and be one of the pickup men as well. So I can say I come by riding and roping quite honestly. Some of my first memories are riding my pony chasing cows with mom and dad. I would say I was probably a barrel racer first entering the ABRAs when I was quite young. My brother and I are close in age (18 months apart) so I think I always wanted to be doing the same thing as him which included roping. I went to the local junior rodeos and eventually joined the Alberta high school rodeo association. One of my first roping clinics was going to the Flewelling Ranch.
What is your main mounts registered name, bloodlines, and does he/she have any quirks?
Registered Name: “Smart as Nic”; top side includes Nic O Lena Badger and Wranglers War Leo and bottom side includes Smart Peppy Doc, Doc O’Lena, and Smart Peppy.
Barn name: Nick, 9 year old sorrel gelding
He is constantly playing with his halter shank and will occasionally untie himself if you forget to loop the end through.
Tell us your horse’s story.
My mom bought Nick as a 2 year old in the Canadian Supreme Horse Sale in Red Deer. My dad rode him when he first came home and then each of us took turns riding him. We did a bunch of ranch work on him. When he was around 6, we sent him to Lee White for a couple of months. That spring/summer, my brother Clayton really started breakaway roping and eventually tying calves on him. Clayton took him to a few rodeos and jackpots after that. Last fall, Clayton offered to sell him to me and I have been the only one roping on him since then. He has always been easy to get along with and had great timing. This summer, I seasoned him at the rodeos. I decided to take Nick to Falkland, BC and see how he handled the rodeo atmosphere. Nick has been my main mount for every rodeo after that. It took me a while this summer to figure out my starts at the rodeos and get Nick leaving flat through the box. I figured out a routine that worked for him in the box which came in handy especially at some of the louder rodeo atmospheres (Armstrong and inside at Edmonton).
What is your go to saddle, pad, and bit on your main mount? What do you like about them?
Honestly, I have been borrowing my brother’s sloan saddle and relentless pad for awhile. The sloan fits my horse the best and it's easy to rope out of; I can get into position easier. We use a lot of the fleece/won pad saddle pads, they come in a variety of thicknesses and provide a lot of support and are super durable. I use a Dan Imler bit; a curved port with a long shank.
What do you do to keep a sharp mental edge in the game of rodeo? How do you stay motivated throughout the season?
I spent a lot of time earlier in the year focusing on my mental game because that's where I struggled last year going to the rodeos; I worked with Brenda Massing. I focused on using each run as a ‘learning opportunity’; what did I do that worked and what could I work on especially with seasoning my horse Nick. I started doing more visualization along with reading sports psychology books. It’s amazing how redirecting your thought processes can help you perform. I know I told myself every weekend how grateful I am to be going down the rodeo trail and making memories with friends. I spent my summer appreciating the ‘little things’. From pulling into the ‘Field of Dreams’ and seeing a double rainbow, to singing in the truck with my friends, going to the Lake between rodeos on the weekend, and stopping at the Enchanted Forest. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose in the rodeo arena that day, it’s about living life and enjoying all the little things.
What does your feed program consist of, and how do you keep your horses in shape? What is your riding routine usually like?
I feed a mixture of rolled oats, Hoffman's Horse Products (Pro Fat and Elite), Platinum Performance, flax oil, SharpEdge joint supplements, pre/probiotic and lysine. I do a lot of long trotting in the pasture as well as sprinting short distances. This summer, my weeks were a mix of riding in the pasture and scoring a lot of calves. I would usually give him a couple days off after the weekend as well.
What is the best advice you’ve been given regarding life, rodeo, horses, or roping?
“Everyone will experience ups and downs, it’s just part of the journey.” I think you can relate it to anything in your life.
What has been your most memorable run over the years, and what made it memorable for you?
I think my favourite breakaway run this year was Lethbridge. It was the second last tour rodeo and I hadn’t won any money at the tour rodeos all year and I was sitting 15/16 in the standings. So I needed to get something done there. But when it came to roping that night, I wasn’t worried about that ‘stuff’. I was there to have fun. (and then Brittainy won the rodeo.)
The most memorable run this year was the ‘North’ run. I think my stomach hurt for two days after that week from all of the laughs and fun I had. I traveled with my sister Payton, Bailey Hines and Brooke Pomeranz. We first-hand tested the limits of the ‘kilometers to empty’ quota on a dodge truck and thankfully Brooke keeps a little diesel in her slip tank for emergencies. We had three phones ready to send text messages to people behind us when we might get a bit of service.
It was so cool to experience some of the rodeos I’ve only heard about from others; for example, the hospitality at La Crete is second to none. It was great to relax and spent a couple days in La Crete hanging out with everyone before having to rush to the next rodeo.
Who was your travel partner this year, and what was your favourite moment together this year, OR what is your favourite thing about your travel partner?
I traveled with a number of people this year depending on the weekend and when we got up at the rodeos. I traveled the majority of the summer with Bailey including a few trips with the ‘boys’; Austin and Clayton. Our brothers were always there to push our calves, offer their horses to ride, or be in the box with us; it was pretty cool to hang out with them this summer and even do a few family dinners together. You would have seen Bailey sitting in the passenger seat with her laptop plugged in doing ‘schoolwork’ just waiting for her chance to offer up her driving skills. She will probably give me a serious glare for that comment but she’s a decent DJ though. I traveled to a number of rodeos with my sister Payton, Kyla Gordon, and Brooke Pomeranz. We had a lot of laughs and made some great memories together. I think the breakaway ropers in general are so great at being each others’ personal cheerleaders and pump up girls.
What does it mean to you to have the Breakaway Roping at the CFR?
It’s incredible! I think it’s a hard concept to put into words because it wasn’t even something we could imagine until a few years ago. It’s great to see another event dedicated to women in the sport of professional rodeo. To get to rope on the biggest stage in Canada is unbelievable! There are alot of incredible ropers coming up through the ranks who now have the opportunity to someday make it to the CFR! It’s pretty cool to be a part of this event at the grassroots level in Canada and watch it grow each year with some great support.
“I would like to thank my family for all of their support throughout the summer. I could not have done it without each one of them! Their support means the world to me. I also want to thank the White Family for letting me practice at their house throughout the summer.”
